Research
The Integration of Career Readiness into Experiential Learning and High-Impact Practices
In fall 2024, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and the Society for Experiential Education conducted a national survey of nearly 7,500 faculty, staff, and administrators to examine how career preparation is embedded within experiential learning and high-impact practices across higher education. Building on an earlier report focused on faculty perspectives, this study expands the lens to include staff and administrative viewpoints. The findings offer a comprehensive look at the strengths and gaps in current approaches. The report also provides insights and recommendations to help institutions better align experiential learning with students’ career development and long-term success.
Highlights
Despite nearly two decades of emphasis on high-impact and experiential learning, regular implementation remains limited. Only about a quarter of faculty, staff, and administrators report consistently leading such experiences, highlighting a persistent gap between aspiration and execution across higher education.
Faculty are more likely than staff or administrators to lead high-impact and experiential learning activities: 59 percent report doing so, compared to just 20 percent of both staff and administrators. However, within each group, only about one in four consistently engage in these practices–underscoring the widespread need to broaden participation.
While institutions strive to ensure quality in high-impact experiences, collaboration with external partners remains an area for growth. Just over a quarter of respondents report “always” facilitating such relationships, suggesting missed opportunities to strengthen community ties and enrich student learning.
The majority of stakeholders (75 percent) report that career preparation is a focus alongside other learning outcomes within high-impact experiences. Only 15 percent say it is the sole focus–reflecting a balanced approach to integrating career readiness within broader educational goals.
Encouragingly, 88 percent of respondents report regularly connecting experiential learning activities with key aspects of career readiness—such as work-based challenges, career outcomes, and pathway explorations. This alignment is particularly pronounced among faculty in business and professional studies, who are more likely than their peers in other disciplines to prioritize career readiness as the sole focus.
Get the Full Report
The Integration of Career Readiness into Experiential Learning and High-Impact Practices presents a comprehensive overview of the survey findings, highlights key strengths and gaps in current approaches, and offers actionable recommendations to help institutions more effectively embed career preparation into experiential learning initiatives.